


Rage

by Youkoartemis



Series: Zosan Zombie AU [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Gratuitous Murder, Implied Cannibalism, M/M, Protective Roronoa Zoro, Zombie Zoro, Zombies Eating Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:49:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29655030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Youkoartemis/pseuds/Youkoartemis
Summary: What happens when a Feral zombie's pack gets hurt?
Relationships: (Generally more implied than actual but it's there), Roronoa Zoro/Sanji
Series: Zosan Zombie AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2072625
Comments: 10
Kudos: 57





	Rage

**Author's Note:**

> TW for: implied zombie cannibalism, violence, gore, minor character death, and people getting shot

Zoro didn't know why they were here, but Curly told him to behave, so he'd be good. He'd keep on the shades that made the light not hurt so much and he wouldn't growl, even though these new people were good meat tasty yummy.

They weren't His. Weren't Family. Zoro didn't like them, but Curly said behave, so he'd behave.

They said things, but Zoro didn't care: He was more interested in holding back his Hunger.

\-----

Sanji didn't like this. This group of survivors was a nasty one, from all he'd heard and seen, but they were encroaching on Strawhat territory, and wanted a meeting, so they'd come out here to see what was going on.

"Word's going 'round that you guys got yourselves a new attack dog." The leader of the other group started with a nasty smirk that Sanji  _ really _ wanted to wipe off his stupid face.

Sanji knew that when he said "attack dog," he really meant "zombie." It wasn't a common tactic, but it was a  _ known _ one, to collar and chain zombies to thick posts outside a base of operations to act as particularly rabid guards dogs. Even if they couldn't  _ reach _ approaching survivors, they'd make enough of a racket to alert those inside the base.

A cruel and barbaric tactic, but effective.

(It made Sanji deeply uncomfortable, as he couldn't help but imagine  _ Zoro _ chained up like that, and the mere thought hurt his heart deeply.)

Sanji very pointedly did  _ not _ shoot a glance towards Zoro, certain that the dark shades they had him wearing would cover up the red flare of his eye, hiding the fact he was a Feral. He had no intentions of doing  _ anything _ that might jeopardize Zoro's disguise. Especially when the Feral was doing such a good job of behaving himself so far! Sanji was  _ very _ proud of him, and how far he'd come from when Sanji had first found him again.

He really,  _ really _ hoped that these shitty survivors didn't mess things up and set Zoro off. Especially since they all had  _ guns. _ Who the hell used  _ guns _ in a fucking zombie apocalypse?! Firing one of those off would attract every single zombie around for a  _ mile! _ Were they just idiots, or were they just  _ that _ confident in their survival skills? Sanji would really rather not find out, if possible.

Unfortunately, it was apparently not to be, as the lead jackass took an interest in Zoro.

"Oh? What's this? You got a new guy?" The man circled closer, peering at Zoro, who turned his head to track the man's movements closely, likely contemplating trying to take a bite.

_ 'Stay the  _ **_fuck_ ** _ back if you know what's good for you, shithead.' _ Sanji hissed mentally, staring hard at the man and wishing he had a cigarette to grind between his teeth. Would've been a terrible idea, given they were on neutral ground between their two territories, which was open to zombies. Still, Sanji really craved a hit of nicotine.

"Doesn't really look like much." The shithead commented snidely, probably thinking he was hot shit as he moved in even closer.

He stepped too close and set off Zoro. The Feral growled, deep and low, his head lowering just enough that the red flash of light off his one good eye glinted over his shades.

The shithead froze, gawking at Zoro.

"A  _ Feral?!"  _ The man squawked, and the marimo's upper lip curled back as a growl rumbled deep in his chest, "You fuckers really  _ are  _ crazy!! How the fuck did you pull  _ that _ off?! The hell're you drugging it with to keep it this docile?!"

Sanji did  _ not _ appreciate this shithead talking about Zoro like that. Like he was just some mindless  _ thing,  _ when Zoro had proven many times over that he was still in there, under whatever had happened to him when he Turned.

"Hey, how much d'you want for it?" The bastard continued, "Food? Meds? Water? Other supplies? A tamed Feral would be an  _ incredible _ thing to add to our defenses." Greed was shining in the bastard's eyes as he stared at Zoro, who was growing more and more agitated the longer the shithead stayed that close to him.

"Zoro is not for sale." Luffy stated flatly, completely serious for once as he stared the rival group down, eyes shadowed by his hat and looking fathomlessly deep.

"You  _ named _ the thing?!" The soon-to-be-dead jackass laughed, "You guys are nuts!"

\-----

Zoro didn't know what was going on, but His weren't attacking or fleeing, so he didn't either. Even though he was hungry. So very,  _ very _ hungry…

Voices rose, and Zoro watched the not-His good meat wave something around. Threat?

His were growing restless. Shifting. Angry. Scared?

SOUND.

LOUD.

Shouts. Scared. Familiar.

Blood smell filled the air, and Curly fell.

Curly?

Cook?

Still.

Red.

Redredredredred.

_ Hurt. _

NOT-HIS MEAT HURT HIS.

HURT CURLY.

KILL.

**KILL.**

**_KILL._ **

\-----

Everyone froze as Zoro let out the enraged shriek survivors had come to fear when facing zombies. The one that signaled a zombie had just become enraged.

Zombies were bad enough by themselves, with their surprising speed, strength, and ability to shrug off damage. An  _ enraged _ zombie was much, much worse. They were somehow even faster and stronger than normal, and their enraged shrieks and howls would not only set off the rest of the pack, but also draw in every other zombie within earshot, like sharks to freshly spilled blood.

However, an enraged zombie was also a zombie with  _ tunnel vision,  _ and would single mindedly pursue the target(s) of their rage and ignore any distractions until they either caught their prey or someone or something else drew their wrath. This allowed particularly crafty and nimble groups of survivors to kite packs of zombies around and pick them off one by one.

But that only applied to  _ regular _ zombies.

Zoro was a  _ Feral.  _ A now  _ enraged  _ Feral.

And Zoro hadn't wasted a second in showing them all  _ exactly _ why Ferals were so feared. Right as he'd shrieked, he'd pounced, crossing the distance between himself and the one who'd shot Sanji so fast it looked like he'd teleported.

The shooter was dragged down by one arm, which, judging from the agonized scream, had been yanked right out of its socket by the move.

Zoro grabbed the other arm and  _ pulled,  _ and the limb came right off with a sickening crack and squelch, spraying the ground with blood. He then tore out the man's throat with his teeth, making his screams abruptly turn into gurgling and then silence.

"FUCK!!" One of the other men in the rival group exclaimed, aiming his gun at Zoro and shooting (and missing).

"JIM!!!" Another yelled, shocked and horrified as he too tried to shoot Zoro.

"THAT THING'S NOT SLOWED DOWN AT ALL!!" 

"SHOOT IT!!! FUCKING  **_SHOOT IT!!!"_ **

One of the shots finally hit Zoro, cutting through his left arm along the side, and he snarled and launched himself at his next target. He tackled the man down, and ripped his head most of the way off of his shoulders with a single harsh jerk of the hand gripping the side of the man's head, his other hand gripping the man's shoulder.

The Strawhats cried out in alarm when a lucky shot hit right between Zoro's eyes, snapping the zombie's head back with the force of its momentum.

Zoro's face took on an expression of shock before it once again twisted in rage, gaze dropping back down to glare at the one who'd shot him, abandoning his current victim for the next one.

The rival gang began trying to run, but didn't get far, their screams cutting off one by one as the Strawhats set about dragging Sanji to safety, having finally dissuaded Luffy from jumping into the fray while Zoro was having his berserker rampage.

"Luffy! We need your help getting Sanji somewhere safe so that we can at least bandage this wound up before getting back to base!" Nami hissed to her captain, eyes wide with terror.

"Yeah! We need you to help fight off any zombies that come sniffing around us 'cause of the blood and all the noise!" Usopp added, equally terrified and desperate.

"Mnnnn… Fine." He grumbled, finally turning away from the bloody scene and starting to help them carry the unconscious Sanji off.

As they were leaving, they saw one of the members of the rival group attempt to escape by climbing a broken fire escape.

They watched Zoro leap right up after him and drag him down before literally ripping him apart.

After that, they turned a corner, cutting off all sight of the battlefield. They could still hear the screams and the snarls of rage, and they knew damn well that meant all the zombies in the area heard them, too, and were heading that way.

They needed shelter, fast, so that they could at least  _ bandage _ Sanji's wound. Help cover up the smell of blood, before it drew in hordes of zombies and led them right to the Strawhats' front step.

They spotted an abandoned, damaged building, and Luffy ducked inside to check and make sure nothing  _ else _ was in there. Finding nothing, he ducked back out and motioned them in.

Nami and Usopp hastened in, bringing Sanji with them.

Luffy grabbed some debris and blocked off any entrances he and Nami could find while Usopp dug around in his pack for the first aid kit he had with him. Finding it, Usopp set about soaking a cotton ball in disinfectant and then dabbing it on the wound to clean it. He then bandaged it up as best he could, hoping and praying that it'd be enough. 

With Sanji's wound treated to the best of Usopp's ability, the sniper cracked open a water bottle and motioned the others over, using the water to clean as much of Sanji's blood off of himself and the others as possible. Zombies were drawn to the scent of blood like sharks.

"Is Sanji gonna be okay?" Luffy asked seriously, in a low voice as he crouched next to Usopp and the still unconscious Sanji.

"He lost a lotta blood, Luffy." Usopp said grimly, frowning seriously at his captain, "But he's real tough, so I'm sure he'll be fine! Especially after we get him to Chopper!" He added, forcing a grin and a lighter tone to try and break up the tense atmosphere hanging around them.

Luffy nodded with a soft "Un!" beginning to smile, himself. He reached down and patted Sanji.

"Yeah, Sanji's tough!" He agreed, "And you did a good job, Usopp." He added, giving Usopp a grateful look.

Usopp puffed up with pride.

"Well of course! The Great Usopp could do nothing less than provide the best of care to his injured nakama!" He boasted, grinning widely and preening.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy snickered, grinning back.

"You're both idiots." Nami quietly scolded, but she was smiling, too, and looked far less tense than before.

They tensed right back up when they heard fast shuffling footsteps outside their makeshift shelter. It sounded like the ones moving were  _ running, _ and it sounded like there were a  _ lot _ of them out there. A whole pack or two, probably.

They all exchanged wide-eyed looks as the steps went past. The realization that they'd only  _ just _ managed to avoid the horde summoned by all the screaming and gunshots sobering the mood and reminding them how much danger they were all still in.

They'd have to wait a while before heading back to base, lest they be chased down by a horde while one of their number was incapacitated.

\-----

Sniff.

Smell.

Danger? 

Threats? 

Silence.

All still.

NOISE. 

MOVEMENT. 

Bad Not-His?

No.

Bad meat.

Not threat.

His?

Where His?

His  _ hurt. _

**_Where His?_ **

Sniff.

Smell.

BLOOD.

TRAIL.

FOLLOW.

TRACK.

Building.

Voices.

His!

Hidden.

Dig.

Dig dig dig.

In!

"Zoro?!"

His!!!!

Hurt?

WitchHisNami?

"Hey! Zoro?! What-"

No blood.

Scared, but safe.

NoseHisUsopp?

"H-h-hey! Wtchit! Pursnilspass!"

No blood.

Scared, but safe.

CaptainHisLuffy?

"Shishishishi! Hi Zoro!"

No blood, but goodnice pats.

Safe.

CurlyHisSanji?

Sniff?

Blood.

Faint.

Less.

Safe?

Noise!

Movement!

Nudge nudge.

"Marimo? What-"

"Sanji!! Don't move sofst! You're stl hurt!" HisUsopp yelped.

Curly safe!

All safe.

Good.

Yes.

Noise.

Talking.

Not important.

His here.

His safe.

NOISE.

OUTSIDE.

MOVEMENT!

THREAT!

Go out.

BAD MEAT.

Smells blood.

Smells good meat.

Wants good meat.

_ HIS! _ No eating!

SCARE AWAY.

_ HIS. _

_ HIS FAMILY. _

_ NOT FOR BAD MEAT. _

**_FIGHT._ **

Bad meat still.

Leaving.

Gone.

Stay.

Wait.

Make sure.

Gone?

Gone gone?

Good.

His safe.

Return to His.

\-----

They'd been waiting anxiously for a clear shot at escaping, or for Sanji to wake up, or for Zoro to return, or honestly  _ anything _ that'd increase their odds of getting home safely when something began digging at the barrier, growling softly.

The debris began moving, and they all clutched at their weapons, ready to fight for their lives, if they had to.

The debris shifted, lifting up as something big slipped in beneath.

They readied themselves, Luffy raising his spiked bat while Nami readied her staff and Usopp drew back his slingshot, ready to shoot.

The creature entered view, and they relaxed, lowering their weapons.

"Zoro?!" They'd chorused, Nami and Usopp in shock and Luffy in joy.

The Feral was coated in blood and looked like he had several holes in him from where he'd been shot, some of the wounds still sluggishly dribbling dark blood onto the ground.

The Feral stared at them, expression intense and laser focused. He moved closer, leaning into Nami's personal space and breathing deeply through his nose, sniffing her.

She fought the urge to recoil, but still leaned back slightly, raising her hands in a warding gesture.

"Hey!" She yelped, "Zoro?! What-"

She was cut off by Zoro snorting in apparent satisfaction, the Feral moving on to sniff Usopp, who also yelped and leaned back as the bloodied zombie leaned right into his personal space.

"H-h-hey! Watch it! Personal space!" He stammered, pressing his hands to the Feral's chest and ineffectually trying to push him back.

Zoro snorted once more and moved over to Luffy, sniffing him and looking him over.

"Shishishishi! Hi Zoro!" Luffy laughed, grinning delightedly and patting Zoro on the head, unbothered by the gore that had stained Zoro's minty green hair a dark, muddy brown.

After a second of enjoying the pats, the Feral turned his attention to Sanji, sniffing him, then, after Sanji groaned softly, the zombie nudged him with one hand, brow deeply furrowed with concern.

Sanji groaned softly again and shifted, finally waking up.

Zoro visibly perked up, spine straightening and eyes widening slightly.

"Marimo? What-" Sanji began, starting to move. 

"Sanji!! Don't move so fast! You're still hurt!" Usopp yelped, rushing to keep Sanji still.

They caught Sanji up on what had happened, but froze when Zoro suddenly jerked upright and stared towards the entrance, frowning and growling softly. The Feral slipped outside and the others moved to the gaps in the debris to see what was going on.

There was a zombie out there. They caught a glint of red from its eyes, and felt fear form in their guts.

Zoro went over to the other Feral and growled, deep and low in his throat. The other Feral growled back, snarling.

Zoro let out a sharp, harsh snarl in response, the volume rising. He squared up his shoulders and stood to his full height, making himself bigger and more imposing.

The other Feral hissed at him, but seemed to recoil, flinching back. It eyed him for a few seconds, then turned and skulked off into the shadows.

Zoro glared after it for a while, on high alert and ready to fight, should it be needed.

After a couple of very tense minutes, Zoro seemed to decide it wasn't coming back and relaxed, turning and slipping back into their makeshift shelter.

He beelined to Sanji's side, curled up after shifting around a few times. He then began licking the blood off of himself with long, slow laps of his tongue. Light glinted off of metal in his mouth, leading them to realize that Zoro's tongue was  _ pierced. _ Three piercings in a line down the center of his tongue, if Nami's sharp thief eyes were to be believed (and given it involved jewelry, her assessment was definitely true).

"Did you just tell that other Feral to fuck off?" Sanji asked, a bit disbelieving.

Zoro stopped cleaning himself to blink placidly at Sanji, and tilt his head to the side, his blank stare reflecting that he hadn't understood a single word of what he'd just been asked.

"Can you talk to other zombies??" Luffy asked excitedly, causing Zoro to look over.

"No." Zoro answered shortly, going back to licking the blood off of himself.

"You were talking to it, though! You were all GRRR and it was all HISSSSS and then it left!"

Zoro was silent for a long while. Long enough they wondered if he hadn't understood, and then…

"No talk." He said slowly and ponderously, words slightly choked as he forced them out, "Hungry. Weak. Wanted meat, not fight. Not easy, so ran."

"You scared it off?" Sanji asked, just to clarify.

"Mm." Zoro grunted in response, sounding rather smug.

"Guess you  _ are _ useful for more than just breaking doors after all, eh marimo?" The cook teased, smirking at the irritable look he received in return, and then frowning as he noticed something, "You have  _ holes _ in you."

Zoro grunted, indifferent as he continued up his arm, cleaning off the blood with his tongue. (In all honesty, he was probably just hungry.)

"Why does he have holes in him?!" Sanji demanded of the others.

"Well…" Usopp began nervously, knowing how important Zoro was to Sanji and not wanting to freak the man out.

"He got shot, but he just kept going and killed the guys who shot you!" Luffy answered, waving his hands around excitedly.

Sanji choked, drawing a concerned look from Zoro.

"He got  _ shot?!" _ Sanji's voice rose at least one entire octave for the enraged screech his voice had become.

"Yeah, but he's fine, though, right Zoro?" Luffy laughed, patting Zoro on the shoulder and receiving a disdainful look for it.

"Hate to break this up, but we should get moving before it starts getting dark." Nami said, glancing out the gaps.

Zoro perked up and darted back out of the shelter, dashing off. They heard a pained yowl that abruptly cut off. As they were leaving the shelter, Zoro returned, the parts of him that he'd been cleaning now very much bloody again.

"Got a snack, marimo?" Sanji asked, voice rife with dark humor.

The Feral hummed contentedly as he plodded along beside them, following them home.

(The others only needed to reach out and correct his course a couple of times!)

When they got back, Chopper immediately screeched and dragged them off for a checkup. Thankfully, they'd make full recoveries.

Sanji would rather  _ not _ get shot again, however, thanks. He'd rather Zoro not get shot more, either.

Still, he thought, as he glanced down at the lazy (and thankfully now clean) moss sprawled across his lap, sleepily enjoying the way Sanji was petting his hair, things had ended reasonably well, and he was glad for it.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should be finishing up the next chapter of Hellbound Heart, but instead of doing that, I wrote this! I hope you all enjoy~!
> 
> And, just for clarification: The reasoning for the bad spelling, from Zoro's POV, is because he really doesn't understand very much, so a lot of words are just Sound to him! He's a very good and loyal boy, but not very smart, as a zombie.


End file.
